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Old Stock Cellar Reserve (Aged In Brandy Barrels)
North Coast Brewing Co.
- From:
- North Coast Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Old Ale
Ranked #2 - ABV:
- 15.2%
- Score:
- 99
Ranked #217 - Avg:
- 4.49 | pDev: 7.57%
- Reviews:
- 134
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 17, 2023
- Added:
- Jun 03, 2007
- Wants:
- 445
- Gots:
- 180
Vintages: 2005, 2011, 2020
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tjthresh:
Reviewed by tjthresh from Indiana
4.48/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.48/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
What a nose!!! Black grapes, blueberry, light oak, warm alcohol, and sweet toffee and chocolate. Fantastic. Not all that impressive looking though. The pour is brown with some red hues, and a quickly fading soapy tan head. Wonderful flavors. I've always thought brandy barrels are the way to do with barley wine, and this is the best example. Great grape, wood, toffee, chocolate flavor with a bit of warm alcohol to make sure you know what you are drinking. Medium body. Mouth filling. Average carbonation. Just enough to be a complement. Average finish. I'd like it to hang around for a bit longer. Really though. I really can't think of what else I'd want in such a beer. Its a damn shame that its so difficult to come by.
Mar 23, 2009More User Ratings:
Reviewed by 2beerdogs from California
4.29/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Thanks to CarolinaCardinals for sending this to me in our Barleywine/Stout BIF #1.
Pours a burgundy tinged copper in hue. Sandy head leans forward with about a finger of fine foam that slowly dissipates to a thin cap. Very lithe, layered lacing.
Nose begins with a melange of the usual suspects. Toffee, dates, and caramelized sugars. But chiming in right away are: some deep barrely brandy notes, some dried apricot, tawny port, and a most mild toasted almond.
Flavor is still a balancing act between what one would expect from a barleywine and the brandy barrel. This is a sipper that calls to you to sit down, relax, focus in a meditative way. The interplay between everything the nose hinted at is like a tennis match played in molasses. At times, the subtlety of the toasted almond note gives way to the deep fruit. Moments later, the fruit goes from deep and almost tannic to bright and sweet, then comes around to a wet barrely must. Leather notes give way to chewy date.
The mouthfeel is medium, low carbonation, and gently warm, a hint of vanilla comes in on the finish.
Overall, a sublime sit and sip is offered up for you to escape this modern world.
Dec 17, 2023Pours a burgundy tinged copper in hue. Sandy head leans forward with about a finger of fine foam that slowly dissipates to a thin cap. Very lithe, layered lacing.
Nose begins with a melange of the usual suspects. Toffee, dates, and caramelized sugars. But chiming in right away are: some deep barrely brandy notes, some dried apricot, tawny port, and a most mild toasted almond.
Flavor is still a balancing act between what one would expect from a barleywine and the brandy barrel. This is a sipper that calls to you to sit down, relax, focus in a meditative way. The interplay between everything the nose hinted at is like a tennis match played in molasses. At times, the subtlety of the toasted almond note gives way to the deep fruit. Moments later, the fruit goes from deep and almost tannic to bright and sweet, then comes around to a wet barrely must. Leather notes give way to chewy date.
The mouthfeel is medium, low carbonation, and gently warm, a hint of vanilla comes in on the finish.
Overall, a sublime sit and sip is offered up for you to escape this modern world.
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado
4.43/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2020 vintage, such a delicious brew, i have been wanting to try this brandy edition for years so, was pumped to finally get the chance! deep and patient leggy mahogany in the glass with a short tan head and a lot of viscosity. the nose on this is insane, dark leather, rich stewed fruit, dried apricot, winter spices, wet oak, and a lot of alcohol, kind of hits like cognac to me, wintery and warming, dates and figs, a little musty and oxidized, which i always think flatters this sort of thing, layers on layers here, caramel and vanilla richness too, wow, and it sure is strong! the flavor is right there with the nose, dark cigar, old leather, strong woodiness, maple sugar, toffee, chestnut, raisin, peach nectar, and just a ton of the brandy, insane complexity and unrivaled cohesiveness, very well aged too, this is mature without being decomposed at all, and this is up there with the best barrel treatments on this thing, the brandy is so forward, essential in here, i cant imagine this without it now. vanilla bean and wafer cookie, sweet malt and tree bark, festive spiciness and alcohol heat. i love everything about this. full bodied, light on the bubbles, and slow moving with a glorious aftertaste. this could warm the coldest soul, and i cant say enough about it. an absolute gem, top strong ale of any kind that ive had in some time...
Dec 08, 2023Rated by mrmsmith from District of Columbia
4.73/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.73/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
2011 vintage in 2016
Aug 26, 2023Rated by bret27 from California
4.05/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
2020 version from brewery cellar
Jul 06, 2023Rated by Zaximus from Colorado
4.5/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2011 Vintage popped on 2/13/21. Truly excellent. Very smooth.
Jan 24, 2023
Old Stock Cellar Reserve (Aged In Brandy Barrels) from North Coast Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
99 out of
100 with
768 ratings
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